Commission concerned over rule of law in Ukraine

The European Commission yesterday (15 May) highlighted the “degradation of the rule of law” in Ukraine in its annual report on progress in relations between the EU and its neighbours to the east and south.

The Commission’s report on Ukraine is largely a catalogue of concerns, and will reinforce international anxieties brought to the surface by the imprisonment of four former Ukrainian ministers. Their jailing and, in particular, the alleged mistreatment in prison of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, has already forced the “postponement” of a summit in Ukraine of presidents of central and eastern European countries and the announcement by several European commissioners and national leaders that they will not attend matches held in Ukraine during the Euro 2012 football championships. Ukraine’s mounting anxiety is reflected in Prime Minister Mykola Azarov’s two days of meetings in Brussels yesterday and today (15-16 May).

The Commission draws attention to “politically motivated selective justice” and says that the Ukrainian “authorities are increasingly hostile to public displays of discontent and on occasions [have] tried to limit freedom of assembly”, adding that it also has concerns about “the future of media freedom”.

For the first time, the reports set out specific recommendations for the 12 neighbours with whom the EU has agreed action plans, and the calls made to Ukraine range widely. In particular, the Commission calls on Ukraine to work with the Council of Europe in areas ranging from electoral law to judicial reform.

It alludes to the financial costs to Ukraine of failure to respond to EU concerns, noting that it could secure EU funding if it brought its civil-service law up to EU norms and that continued budget support depends on greater transparency in public accounts.

Caucasus and Arab uprisings

The Commission also voices some anxiety about the state of democracy in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. These criticisms contrast with the report on Moldova, in which the Commission mainly raises technical points.

Recommendations are also made to seven countries and territories in the EU’s southern neighbourhood: Israel, the “occupied Palestinian territories”, Lebanon and four countries affected by the Arab uprisings – Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. The EU’s advice to those four focuses on steps that could be taken to entrench democracy.

The reports on Israel and the Palestinian territories are markedly less sharply worded than a statement issued on Monday (14 May) by EU foreign ministers. They warned that the acceleration of construction of Israeli settlements, worsening conditions for Palestinians and the risks posed to the “major” state-building achievements of the Palestinian Authority “threaten to make a two-state solution impossible”.

Israel rejected the ministers’ statement, saying its “long list of claims and criticisms [were] based on a partial, biased and one-sided depiction of realities on the ground”.